Azure Striker Gunvolt is a new Nintendo 3DS eShop game by Inti Creates, supervised by Keiji Inafune, better known as the creator and main driving force of the Megaman series, and creator of the upcoming Mighty No. 9. Inti Creates, who are also working on the latter, were also known for their Megaman Zero and ZX series, as well as for their work on Megaman 9 and 10. The trailer is a bit long and goofy but what we have here is a shout-out to the 2D gaming era, akin to their Megaman Zero/ZX series games, with its own twist on things.

It came out last week, and I've beaten it today and feel like it deserves a little more attention. It's a very fantastic game, I've enjoyed it immensely. It wasn't too hard at all until near the very end I thought, and the final boss felt very satisfying to defeat, which is always a good feeling. The story's also surprisingly really good, which was a nice surprise as well, considering these are Megaman creators, and Megaman games aren't really the best as far as story goes. I wouldn't call the game revolutionary as the trailer seems to think, but it's been a fun ride, with neat powers, abilities, and customization; you can collect items to forge new items or weapons, or collect them from gameplay achievements, and you can customize Gunvolt with a various amount of skills.

Basically, this is a fun game, and, along with other recent releases like Shovel Knight and Freedom Planet, is giving me hope that old-school gaming is on the rise again. It's definitely worth a look, for only $15 on the 3DS eShop, and if you buy it before November, you get a neat little bonus...

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